When selling your home, it’s important to make it as buyer-friendly as possible. Too much clutter will make your rooms, closets, and storage areas appear small. Clutter can also make your home appear messy, which may make prospective buyers think you haven’t cared for your home. These can be big turn-offs for buyers, making it hard to sell your home.
Decluttering will not only make your home appear brighter, bigger, and well-maintained; it will also make it easier for you when it’s time to move.
When decluttering your home before you put it on the market, these are the areas you should spend extra time focusing on.
Tidy Up the Yard
Your front yard and entrance area are the first impression buyers get of your home. Many buyers drive by a home before asking their agent for a viewing and make a decision about whether or not they want to see the house based on what it looks like from the outside.
Tidy up your front yard by pulling weeds and dead plants, keep the grass cut, plant fresh flowers and bushes to make the landscape lusher. If you have broken edging, repair or replace it. Paint your mailbox.
Your curb appeal should also extend to your front porch. Clean it up, get rid of clutter, toys, old shoes, and dirty furniture cushions. Give it a fresh coat of paint and add some potted plants.
Declutter the Entry Area
If this is a place that your family usually drops shoes, backpacks, coats, etc., find a way to organize it. Add hooks for coats and bags. Create an area for shoes to be kept together in an organized fashion. If there’s space, add an entry table for placing keys and mail.
Organize Closets
Buyers are going to check out closet space to make sure there’s plenty. Cluttered, disorganized closets are going to make buyers think there isn’t enough space. Moving is a great time to reduce your wardrobe and get rid of things you no longer wear.
Take an afternoon to go through your closet. Make “keep”, “donate”, and “trash” piles. If you haven’t worn something in a year or more, it needs to find its way to the “donate” or “trash” pile. The same goes for shoes, coats, and workout gear.
Once you’ve narrowed down the clothes you’ll keep, organize your closet efficiently and keep it tidy.
Clean Up Hidden Areas
Just as with closets, buyers are going to be checking out hidden storage areas like your shed, garage, basement, and attic. Just like you, they are going to have yard equipment, holiday decorations, and many other items to store. They’ll want to see that there’s plenty of room. Organize these areas just as you did the closets and get rid of anything that’s broken or that you no longer need.
Clear Clutter in the Living Room
If your living room has bookshelves, built-ins, or other areas where clutter can accumulate, it’s time to clean them out. Reduce the number of items that you store in these areas to make the room look more open and spacious. Too much furniture can make the space feel smaller than it really is so try to move some of the furniture out. Make sure there are open areas in bookshelves and fireplace mantels.
Streamline Your Kitchen
The kitchen can be one of the places where clutter accumulates the most. With a variety of kitchen gadgets, appliances, and pots and pans, there isn’t much room left to move around. But the kitchen is the heart of the home and many buyers will be turned off from a home they really like if the kitchen appears to be too small and cluttered.
It’s important to not only clear space on the countertops, but also in the cabinets and pantry. Overstuffed areas will make it appear as if there’s not enough storage space.
Other Areas
Other areas to consider when decluttering include your home office, laundry room, the kid’s playroom, and bathrooms. Make sure these areas show well by clearing clutter from surfaces, floors, and closets. Create organizational systems that make it easy for items to be stored in the proper place.
The cleaner and tidier your home looks, the easier it will be to sell. Decluttering your home before putting it on the market is one of the best ways to ensure a fast, and profitable sale.
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